Early Bird Tickets out Now!

Susan founded Earthfire Institute Wildlife Sanctuary & Retreat Center in 2000 to give a voice to wildlife and help people find their own natural voice. Earthfire’s mission is to help humans change how they see, and therefore treat, wildlife and nature.

Susan lives with these animals throughout their lifetimes, developing deep relationships and insights. This makes it possible for her to bring wild animals’ voices into our awareness and into conservation decisions.

She has taught at universities around the world, worked in maximum security prisons, developed a university counseling center, directed a Nature Conservancy Preserve, and lived in remote corners of Nepal, the Mid and Far East, the Northwest Territories and the Amazon rainforest.

Her goal is always to see through other’s eyes as a way to enhance understanding between cultures, peoples and species.

Her background as a biologist and psychologist make it possible for her to blend nature and human psychology into an eco-psychological and spiritual ecology perspective.

Susan will be speaking on " Bringing Animal Individuality into Conservation Decision Making".

Susan believes that it is easy to generalize the idea of “wildlife” and not understand the dramatic impact of our actions on individual animals. And question "What does itmean" when we “lose wildlife” or hear of “species extinction.” Each individual animal that dies is not just a “species member;” it is the loss of a life. The loss of that animal, its intelligence, wisdom, passions and one chance at life.

Living with rescued wildlife over their lifetimes Susan has been fortunate to see the intense individuality of each bear, wolf, bison and other wild animals native to the US Rocky Mountains. Sharing stories of their individuality adds the critical element of who these beings are, to more biological reasons for how critical it is to save wildlife corridors and habitat. Understanding their individuality helps us feel the immediacy of what we are doing, which is what best motivates us to action. This is even more important now in view of climate change as an added pressure on wild animals. It also gives concrete substance to the more abstract ethical issue of seeing all life as having inherent worth.

Susan believes when we begin to value wild animals as individuals as well as species representatives, we begin to make conservation decisions on a different basis; one that includes compassion. This can lead to an entirely new way of doing conservation. It is also easy to generalize when we are not familiar with specific animals or species, as is so often the case with wildlife.

This talk is an attempt to bring people closer to the reality of who these beings are, through stories and observations based on Susan having lived intimately with them for decades, and begin thought provoking awareness of how to apply this to conservation practices.

The riveting stories she shares are accompanied by powerful, heart-opening slides and videos.

You can view just a few of Susan's heart warming videos below here.

Visit Susan's website where there is a wealth of information, inspiring videos, thought provoking blogs and radio here.